1. Field of the Invention
The present invention discloses a portable, collapsible and adjustable rifle support stand which supports a rifle at each end--under the barrel and under the stock. The support stand is made of two vertical supports for a rifle. The rear or stock support is a hinged tripod and the front or barrel support is a hinged bipod. The rifle support stand is designed to steady a telescope-equipped rifle for more accurate shooting.
2. Description of the Related Art
When shooting a rifle, many hunters and target shooters use one hand and forearm to support the rifle barrel and the other arm and shoulder to support the rifle stock. However, there is always some wobble of the rifle and therefore reduction of target accuracy with this method. At 200 to 300 yards distance from a target, even the slightest movement of the human body, and hence the rifle, can cause a large reduction in target accuracy.
In order to overcome the shortcomings of this hand holding method, many hunters and target shooters use a barrel support when shooting rather than using their hand and forearm to support the rifle barrel. However, the fact that the other arm and shoulder are used to support the rifle stock still causes some wobble and hence a reduction in target accuracy. In the field, a hunter may position his rifle on a convenient tree branch, rock or the like to shoot more accurately, but the rear support of the rifle, i.e., the arm and shoulder, can and does decrease target accuracy.
Numerous inventions have been developed to overcome the disadvantages of the hand holding shooting method and/or the barrel support methods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,988 (Besaw) discloses a portable rifle rest useful for zeroing in rifles on or off a rifle range. The rifle rest includes an elongated, upper rifle support block provided with a V-shape rifle support notch therein lined with cushioning material and two elongated lower foot blocks each pivotally mounted to the upper block to move between positions at right angles thereto when the rifle rest is in use and positions aligned therewith when the rifle rest is to be transported like a suitcase. However, the rifle rest has limited adjustability and collapsibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,612 (Anderson) discloses a sporting apparatus support device for the handicapped having a front support plate and a back support plate which are adjustably attached to each other with belts so as to securely sandwich the wearer. An across-the-shoulder strap extending from the front support plate to the back support plate is also provided and an outwardly and upwardly extending bar from the front support plate is provided for attaching a gun rest. However, this device is not collapsible or adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,066 (Canterbury, Sr.) discloses and adjustable rifle rest. The adjustable rifle rest includes a cylindrical standard implantable into the ground, a rotatable yoke mounted on the upper end of the standard, a sleeve snugly but rotatably and slidingly engaging the shoulder, a member having a horizontal portion with one end fixed to the sleeve and the other end terminating in an upwardly extending vertical portion, a fixed yoke mounted on the upper end of the vertical portion of the member, a structure affixed to the lower end of the standard to aid in implanting the standard and an assembly operable to vary the length of the standard. However, this rifle rest is not collapsible and must be implanted in the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,427 (Davidson) discloses a firearm support which can be quickly and easily set up. The firearm support securely supports a firearm, such as a rifle, while permitting the firearm to have freedom of movement in several planes. The support also can be stored adjacent to the firearm without tangling the shoulder strap associated with the firearm. However, this firearm support has limited adjustability.
Finally, design Pat. No. D346,003 (Anderson) discloses a portable rifle rest and design Pat. No. D359,337 (Banfill) discloses a collapsible rifle rest. However, each of these rifle rests has limited adjustability.
It is, therefore, an object to the present application to provide a portable, collapsible and adjustable rifle support stand which is both simple to use and relatively inexpensive to produce.